COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Rider men shut out of MAAC preseason teams

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference announced its preseason teams Thursday, and on the men’s side, Rider was left without a representative.

The First Team was made up of Fairfield’s Derek Needham, Iona’s Lamont Jones, Loyola’s Erik Etherly, Manhattan’s George Beamon and Siena’s O.D. Anosike.

One of those five players will be named the league’s Preseason Player of the Year during the MAAC Preseason Awards Show on Nov. 9. The show can be seen on ESPN3 at 8:15 p.m.

With no Broncs appearing on any of the three teams, it backs up the belief that some players expressed at the team’s media day last week that they are being overlooked.

“We feel like we have freshmen that can come in and help and (Nurideen Lindsey) comes from St. John’s,” said senior guard Jon Thompson. “We’re predicted to be ninth, but we’re saying we shouldn’t be ninth. Our expectations are high.”

Thompson probably had the best shot at making one of the preseason teams after averaging 8.1 points and 4.7 assists per game last season.

He played his best ball in the final month of the season, averaging 13.4 points per game over the last five games.

On the women’s side, the Broncs landed two players on preseason teams.

Junior forward MyNeshia McKenzie, a Third-Team selection last year, is on the Second Team. Senior forward Caitlin Bopp picked up Third-Team honors.

McKenzie led Rider in scoring and rebounding a year ago, averaging 10.8 points and 9.1 rebounds, respectively. Her 9.1 rebounds per game was tops in the conference.

Bopp averaged 9.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Coach Lynn Milligan said she thinks Bopp is poised for a breakout season.

“She’s arguably one of the top post players in our league,” Milligan said. “She’s going to rebound for you, she’s going to score and she obviously has great size. She set herself some really high goals, but I think this could be one of those breakout senior years for her.”